National Convening Program Books 2015 YEO National Convening Program Book

YEO Bios Marina Dimitrijevic District Supervisor Milwaukee, Wisconsin Marina Dimitrijevic was elected to serve as chairwoman of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in April 2012. She is the youngest person ever in the county and only the second woman to hold that position. She has focused on supporting the needs of working families, adopting higher energy and environmental standards, passing socially and fiscally responsible budgets, and ensuring civil rights protections for LGBT communities. She is an honors graduate of Marquette University where she earned a B.A. in political science and Spanish. Prior to her election to the county board, Dimitrijevic worked as a paralegal at Friebert, Finerty and St. John and as a public relations intern for the Milwaukee Common Council. Dimitrijevic is an active member in over 30 civic organizations in her district and has been appointed to serve on the city of Milwaukee’s Housing Trust Fund Task Force. @supervisormd James Diossa Mayor Central Falls, Rhode Island James Diossa is the mayor of Central Falls, currently in his second term. Diossa, whose parents emigrated from Colombia, was born in Central Falls and attended Becker State College, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. His love for Central Falls brought him back, where he coached youth soccer and eventually entered the world of electoral politics, winning a seat on the city council. After serving two terms on the council, Diossa successfully ran for mayor and was sworn into office in January 2013. As mayor, he has spearheaded economic development efforts by his administration, leading the city in its recovery from bankruptcy. Diossa is working tirelessly with its citizens and stakeholders in the community to build a brighter future for the city of Central Falls. @JamesDiossa Asa Dodsworth Rent Board Commissioner Berkeley, California YEO National Convening | 2015 53 Commissioner Asa Dodsworth was elected to the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board in 2010, the first Berkeley native to be elected to the board in 30 years. Dodsworth discovered local politics in 2001, when the code enforcement agency told him he couldn’t have fruit trees and garden beds on his property and fined him thousands of dollars. Dodsworth thought it was their way of saying, “We need more people like you involved in developing municipal policy.” @AsaDodsworth

National Convening Program Books 2015 YEO National Convening Program Book | Page 54